Grape crusher and stem separator



Oct. 10, 1933. P, BAREL 1,929,671

GRAPE CRUSHER AND STEM SEPARATOR Original Filed Oct. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PIES].-

FIEJQn INVENTOR. P152760 BAREL ATTORNEY.

Oct. 10, 1933. P. BAREL GRAPE CRUSHER AND STEM SEPARATOR Original Fil ed Oct. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PZETRO B/IREL A TTORNE Y.

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 -omrro STATE-S GRAPE CRUSHER AND STEM SEPARAT R,

7 Pietro Barel: San Francisco, Calif.

Application 193"Seri1 o- 491,356. r a V Renewed April 8, .19 I

1 claim. (01.146455)- 1 The present invention relates to improvements in fruit crushers and stem removers, but more particularly to improvements in grape Crushers and stem separatorsof centrifugal type.

In most present day grape crushers' rollers or corrugated discs are utilized to crush the, grapes and stems together and the resultant juices secured from crushing the grapes and stems in this manner is bitter ancldoes not conform to the highest standards required inproducing the purest'and best juice of the grape.

In the device of my present invention the grapes are crushed by centrifugal action and the stems and foreign'matter are separated from the juices and carried out of the machine without in any way contaminating the pure grape juice.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a grape crusher and stem remover of centrifugal type in which the stems are removed from the grapes at the time of their crushing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a grape crusher and stem separator of the type designated that is light and readily portable and is especially adapted to family use.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a .grape crusher and stem separator that embodies novel agitating means for separating the crushed grape hulls, seeds, and juices from the stems and other foreign matter of the grapes. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the subjoined specification and the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the machine in general and including the hopper, crusher, agitator and separator and the driving means crushing mechanism and the agitating mechanism; v

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of one of the crusher arms and the agitator andseparator bars; and

Figure 7 is a perspective detail of oneof the agitator and separator bars.

Figures 1 and 2.

'ing the bars 24', bolt 26 and operating yokes 37 Referring more particularly to the drawings in which the preferred form of the invention is il lustrated, the machine consists generally of a suitable frame 10, upperhousing 11,1hopper 12; agitator and separator housing 13; agitating 6o, mechanism 14, driving mechanism 15, and'crush- I ing mechanism 16;

Referring more particularly tofFigure 1, the framelO consists of longitudinally disposed angle bars 17 having supportinglegs '18 and 19 and handle sections 20 and 21. Centrally arrangedbetween the longitudinals and fixedly secured thereto is mounted the'housing 11 by means of brackets 22, as indicated in Figure 2.

The housing 11 carries the slanting hopper 12 70,. in which the fruit to be crushed'is' placed and gravitates toward the discharge outlet 23-..Figure 5. "I'he'agitator casingor housing 13 'tele-. scoping the casing or housing 11, as indicated in The agitating and separating mechanism ,14 consists of a plurality of spaced bars 24, clearly indicated in Figures 5, 6 and '7, these bars being tied together at the points 25 and 26 which include spacers and rods, as clearly shown in Fig- 30 ure 6. a

The rod 25 is the pivot point and the bars 24 are curved downwardly at 27and slightly eccentric relative to the main shaft 28 and the upwardly curved sections 29 thereof are concentric relative to the shaft 28.

The crushing mechanism 16 embodiesa disc 30 mounted upon the main shaft 28 and this disc is provided with a plurality of radially disposed arms 31, preferably six in number, as indicated in Figures 5 and 6. v

The outer ends of these arms are provided with laterally disposed blades 32 having alternate teeth 33 and notches 34 formed in their outer edges, Figure 6, these notches 34 being adapted v9E5. to receive the spaced bars 24, but not to contact these bars.

The upper left-hand quarter section 35 of the casing, Figure 5, is corrugated, as indicated at 36, and'this section is concentrically disposed relative to the axis 28 of the machine, said section 35 communicating with the discharge outlet 23 of the machine.

The agitator and separator section 14, includrock on the pivot point 25 relative to the various blades 32 of the crusher.

38 engaging rollers 40 arranged on the ends of 1 16 the yokes 37, the return movement of the section 14 being accomplished by means of tension springs 41 secured at their outer ends to a bracket 42 and at their inner ends to the rod 26.

Referring now to Figure 1, the main shaft 28 is provided at one end with a fly wheel 43 and at its Opposite end with a pinion 44, this pinion in turn meshing with a large gear 45acarried by the cam shaft 39. A-third shaft 46 is mounted in suitable bearings and carries at one end a pinion 4'7 meshing with the gear 45 and a pinion 48 meshing with the pinion 49 carried by the driving motor 50.

V The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assuming that the motor 50 has been started. The power transmitted by the motor causes the actuation of the main shaft 28 and the shaft 39 through the train of gears 48, 47, 45 and 44. The shafts 28 and 39 are driven at considerable speed and the crusher mechanism 16 is revolved in the direction of the arrows, or in a contraclockwise direction.

The grapes gravitate down the chute 23 and the blades 32 which are continuously passing the mouth of the chute engage the bunches of grapes and throw them violently against the corrugated section 36, the impact causes the grapes to be crushed and the stems to be separated from the skins, seeds and juices, which latter fall into a suitable container 51 arranged .under the ma- 'j the bars are being continuously agitated by the action of the cams 38.

After the blades pass the point 52, Figure 5, and travel toward the point 53, the space between the ends of the blades gradually increases due to the eccentricity of this section of the agitator bars relative to the axis'of rotation, this arrangement of the bars causing the more rapid and easy ejection of the dbris toward the chute 54.

The portion of the skins and seeds of the grapes are worked through the bars 24 and drop into the container 51 with the juice and these are later strained or filtered from the juice in any well known manner.

A much better product is producedby the machine as the crushing of the grapes is accomplished solely by impact and the stems are not crushed with the grapes as in the usual manner by the use of either plain or corrugatedrollers.

Due to the high velocity of the crusher 16 the blades pick up the grapes as fast as they enter the crusher chamber and none are allowed to drop through the crusher without coming in con-' tact with the corrugated section 36.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is the following:

A grape crusher and stem separator comprising in combination, a frame, a hopper, a rotary crusher arranged below the hopper, said crusher, consisting of a rotary element having toothedblades, a corrugated impact section cooperatively associated with said crusher blades, an agitator, section comprising spaced bars arranged below the crusher and so positioned with relation thereto that the teeth of the crusher pass between the spaced bars of the agitator while the toothed member is in motion on its downward stroke to agitate and separate the stems from the crushed grapes.

PIETRO BAREL. 

